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Michael Cashman
Michael Cashman
Michael Cashman
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Colin Michael Maurice Cashman, Baron Cashman, (born 17 December 1950) is a British actor, dancer, politician, and LGBT rights activist.[1] A member of the Labour Party, he served as a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands from 1999 to 2014. He has been a member of the House of Lords since 2014.[2] He is a patron of Humanists UK.[3]

Key Information

Acting

[edit]

A former child actor, Cashman had a long career, principally on television in supporting roles. His first television appearance was in the 14th episode "The Tin God" of the ITC series Gideon's Way filmed in 1964 and aired in 1965. He appeared with the National Youth Theatre in Zigger Zagger at the Strand Theatre in the West End in March 1968. In 1980, Cashman was a regular in series two and three of ITV's The Sandbaggers as Mike Wallace, codenamed Sandbagger 2 (initially Sandbagger 3). He also played First Officer Bilton in the Doctor Who serial Time-Flight in March 1982.

Cashman had been in the business for more than 20 years when he landed the role of Colin Russell in the BBC's soap opera EastEnders in 1986. In 1989 the character had the first same-sex mouth-to-mouth kiss in a British soap, watched by an estimated 17 million people and leading to some MPs calling for EastEnders to be taken off-air.[4] He remained a regular character in the series until 1989. He also appeared at the National Theatre in Martin Sherman's play Bent with Ian McKellen, where his understudy was Christopher Eccleston.[5] It was announced on 25 August 2016 that Cashman would reprise his role as Colin Russell in EastEnders for two episodes in September.[6] Cashman briefly reprised the role again in 2022 for the funeral of Dot Branning (June Brown).[7]

Politics

[edit]

Cashman is a founder of Stonewall,[8] an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society, a Patron of The Food Chain, a London-based HIV charity and a patron of LGBT Labour.

In the European Parliament he was Labour spokesman on human rights. A member of the Civil Liberties Committee, Cashman was rapporteur on several key initiatives including an initiative on funerals of those who die in third countries.

He is a trenchant critic of discrimination against minorities within the European Union. He led a cross-party coalition to tackle the rise in homophobia throughout Europe. He has in the past supported the gay pride march in Warsaw, which he attended.[9] He was also the president of the European Parliament's Intergroup on gay and lesbian issues. Cashman was a member of the ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. In 2014, he criticised McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Visa Inc. during a session of parliament in protest at their sponsorship of the 2014 Winter Olympics taking place in Sochi, Russia, despite Vladimir Putin having recently introduced legislation against the LGBT community. Cashman cut up his Visa card during the session.[10]

In 2007 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Staffordshire for his human rights work.[11] That same year he was elected MEP of the Year for Justice and Fundamental Rights by his peers.[12]Cashman was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for public and political service.[13]

It was reported on 8 August 2014 Cashman was to be among 22 new life peers announced by the government.[14] On 23 September 2014 he was created a life peer taking the title Baron Cashman, of Limehouse in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets,[15] which is also his birthplace. On 23 September 2014, Cashman was appointed Labour's special envoy on LGBT issues worldwide.

In June 2015, Cashman announced his involvement and investment in SuitLink Ltd., a global LGBT and ally professional social network.[16][non-primary source needed][17]

In 2007, Cashman supported Alan Johnson for the deputy leadership of the Labour Party. In 2010, he supported David Miliband for the leadership of the party. In 2015, Cashman supported Yvette Cooper for the leadership. He supported Sadiq Khan in his bid for Mayor of London.[18]

Cashman released his memoir One of Them: From Albert Square to Parliament Square with Bloomsbury Publishing in February 2020.[19] It was shortlisted for the 2021 RSL Christopher Bland Prize.[20]

He resigned from the Labour Party on 22 May 2019 in opposition to Brexit, and offered his support to the Liberal Democrats.[21] He sat in the Lords as a non-affiliated peer, before returning to Labour on 11 January 2022.[22]

In June 2024 he apologised on X after a tweet in which he mocked 'anti-trans'[23] Labour MP Rosie Duffield's claimed concerns for her own security during the general election campaign.[24] Shortly afterwards, he lost the Labour whip with Sir Keir Starmer saying Cashman's comments were "totally inappropriate".[25][26]

Personal life

[edit]

Cashman registered a civil partnership with Paul Cottingham, his partner of over twenty years, on 11 March 2006. They were together a total of 31 years before Cottingham died. They were introduced in 1983 by Barbara Windsor.[27] A fellow actor and humanitarian activist, Cottingham also worked for the Labour Party as High Value fundraiser and for Britain in Europe, and became Cashman's researcher during his time in the European Parliament. In March 2011 he was diagnosed with a very rare cancer, angiosarcoma, and died on 23 October 2014 at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London. He was cremated in a humanist service at the City of London Crematorium on 7 November 2014.[28][29]

References

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Michael Cashman

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from Grokipedia
Michael Maurice Cashman, Baron Cashman, CBE (born 17 December 1950), is a British Labour politician, former actor, and LGBT rights activist. He gained prominence for portraying Colin Russell, one of the first openly gay characters in a British soap opera, in the series from 1986 to 1987 and briefly in 2008. Cashman served as a for the West Midlands from 1999 to 2014 and has been a in the since 2014, where he advocates on equality and issues. As a co-founder of the LGBT advocacy organization Stonewall in 1989, he played a key role in campaigns against discrimination, including opposition to and efforts to secure civil partnerships and equal marriage. He was appointed Commander of the in 2013 for services to political and equality issues. Cashman's activism has included living openly with since the , using his platform to combat stigma during the AIDS crisis.

Early life

Family background and upbringing

Michael Cashman was born Colin Michael Maurice Cashman on 17 December 1950 in , in the . He grew up in a working-class of four brothers, with his employed as a docker and his working as an office cleaner. These modest circumstances were typical of post-war East End households, marked by economic constraints and community interdependence amid reconstruction efforts. Cashman's early life reflected the resilience required in such an environment, where familial support and local ties provided stability against material hardships. His mother encouraged his interests, including performance, which emerged amid everyday family activities. Formal education was limited; after failing his 11-plus exam, he left school at age 12, influenced by financial necessities that prioritized immediate opportunities over prolonged schooling. This early departure underscored the practical demands of his socioeconomic origins, shaping a worldview attuned to communal solidarity and self-reliance.

Initial entry into performing arts

Michael Cashman entered the as a , debuting professionally at age 12 in the West End production of Lionel Bart's musical Oliver! in 1963. Talent scouts identified him during school performances and urged him to audition, where he secured an initial role as one of Fagin's gang members before advancing to the lead part of . Earning £18 weekly, this opportunity marked his first sustained exposure to professional theater amid the production's original run. Throughout the , Cashman built foundational skills in dance and through child roles in stage musicals, reflecting an early affinity for live performance that he later described as innate. These experiences involved persistent auditions and opportunistic casting in London's theater scene, fostering resilience before he matured into adult ensemble parts in touring and variety-style productions during the 1970s. Such groundwork emphasized practical versatility over formal training, enabling a gradual shift from juvenile leads to more demanding theatrical demands without immediate stardom.

Acting career

Stage performances and early television

Cashman entered the performing arts as a child, securing the lead role of in the original West End production of Lionel Bart's musical Oliver! at the New Theatre, which premiered on 30 June 1960 but saw him perform in 1963 following initial casting changes. This role highlighted his early skills as a singer and dancer, contributing to the show's run of over 2,600 performances. He continued in musical theatre with a performer credit in Passion Flower Hotel, a West End production with music by John Barry and book by Trevor Peacock, which opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre on 16 September 1965 after a Manchester tryout and ran for approximately 213 performances. By age 17, Cashman joined the for Zigger Zagger by Peter Terson, appearing at the Strand Theatre in March 1968 in this play about , which transferred from the and ran for 448 performances. Cashman's early television work included guest roles in British series, beginning with an uncredited appearance in the ITC crime drama Gideon's Way episode "The Tin God," aired in 1965. In 1973, he portrayed in the sketch comedy special Armchair 30. He gained a recurring supporting role as Mike Wallace, codenamed Sandbagger 2, in 13 episodes of the espionage series The Sandbaggers across its second and third series (broadcast 1979–1980 on ITV). Additional minor parts followed in shows like The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes (1971), (1972–1973), Angels (1976), and a four-part storyline Time-Flight (1982) as First Officer Bilton. These appearances, often in ensemble casts, reflected the precarious nature of supporting roles in 1970s British television, where actors navigated sporadic work amid limited production budgets and competition from established performers.

Role in EastEnders and LGBTQ+ representation

Cashman portrayed Colin Russell, a and the first recurring character in the soap's history, from 5 August 1986 to 23 February 1989. The character initially concealed his sexuality before entering a relationship with flatmate Barry Clark, played by Gary Hailes, which highlighted everyday aspects of life in London's East End during the mid-1980s AIDS crisis and prevailing . A pivotal moment occurred on 6 May 1987, when Colin shared the United Kingdom's first pre-watershed kiss—a brief peck on Barry's forehead—depicted in a domestic setting after Barry's AIDS diagnosis storyline. This scene, aired before the 9 p.m. watershed, drew a record 300 viewer complaints to the and intense scrutiny from tabloid newspapers, which framed it as promoting immorality amid heightened public sensitivities following the emergence of and prior to the 1988 enactment of prohibiting local authorities from "promoting" . The portrayal challenged norms by integrating a gay couple into mainstream family viewing, contrasting with the era's limited and often stereotypical depictions of on British television, though it faced resistance from conservative outlets decrying it as agenda-driven. Cashman reprised the role briefly in September 2016, appearing in two episodes where Colin returned to to persuade longtime friend to attend his wedding, marking the character's first on-screen appearance in 27 years. In reflections on the original run, Cashman described the role's emotional toll, including navigating personal privacy amid public vilification and the pressure of representing gay experiences authentically without prior soap precedents, which he noted strained subsequent casting opportunities due to associations with the character. The tenure contributed to incremental visibility for gay narratives in prime-time soaps, predating fuller integrations elsewhere, though immediate backlash underscored persistent cultural divides over such representation.

Later acting, writing, and directing work

Following his departure from in 1988, Cashman largely curtailed full-time pursuits, prioritizing LGBTQ+ advocacy and eventual political endeavors, though he made selective returns to the screen in guest capacities. In August 2016, he reprised the role of Colin Russell for two episodes marking the soap's 30th anniversary, broadcast in September of that year. He returned once more in 2022, portraying Russell in episodes depicting the funeral of the character's longtime friend (), which aired on December 12 and 13. These appearances represented his primary on-screen contributions in the subsequent decades, reflecting a shift away from sustained performance work. Cashman's writing output post-EastEnders centered on autobiographical reflection rather than new scripts or plays. In January 2020, he published the memoir One of Them: From Albert Square to through , a work blending personal narratives from his acting tenure—including experiences on EastEnders and earlier stage roles—with broader life reflections. The book details his progression from child performer to television prominence, incorporating specific anecdotes about navigating fame and representation in the . No substantive directing credits emerged in this period, with his creative energies redirected elsewhere amid a professional pivot.

Political career

Tenure as Member of the European Parliament

Michael Cashman was elected as a Labour Party Member of the European Parliament (MEP) representing the West Midlands in the elections held on 10–13 June 1999, placing second on the party's regional list and securing one of three seats won by Labour in the constituency. His victory as an openly candidate represented an early instance of such representation in major UK-wide elections. From 1999 to 2004, Cashman aligned with the group, focusing on employment, social affairs, and human rights issues. He contributed to parliamentary work on access to documents, authoring a related report that emphasized transparency in institutional operations. As part of the group's pro-integration orientation, he supported preparations for enlargement, including legislative measures facilitating the accession of Central and Eastern European states in 2004, consistent with Labour's endorsement of expanded membership to promote economic and social cohesion. Cashman advocated for enhanced workers' protections, participating in debates on harmonization across member states, though specific votes aligned with group positions rather than individual initiatives. On LGBTQ+ matters, he engaged in early efforts to address , supporting amendments for equal treatment in and contributing to the 2000–2001 Intergroup on LGBT Rights activities, which pushed for age-of-consent equalization and partnership recognitions in candidate countries like . In 2004, following the European Parliament elections on 10–13 June, Cashman was re-elected for the West Midlands, continuing his term beyond the initial period amid Labour's maintained representation in the region. That year, he played a role in re-establishing the EP's , serving as its president to coordinate advocacy on issues.

Appointment to the House of Lords

Michael Cashman was nominated by the Labour Party as a working peer following his retirement from the in 2014. On 23 September 2014, he was created a as Baron Cashman of Limehouse, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. He was introduced to the on 28 October 2014, taking the oath as required for new members. In the Lords, Cashman has focused on legislative efforts to advance equality and human rights protections. He introduced the Equality Marriage Bill in July 2022, aiming to extend civil marriage rights to same-sex couples in British Overseas Territories, implementing prior Foreign Affairs Select Committee recommendations. He has advocated for stronger anti-discrimination measures, including urging ratification of Protocol 12 to the European Convention on Human Rights to enhance equality guarantees beyond existing domestic frameworks like the Equality Act 2010. Cashman's appointment underscores the appointed nature of the , where peers are selected through political nominations rather than election, a system that has faced ongoing critiques for its lack of direct democratic . As of 2025, he remains an active non-affiliated peer, contributing to debates on sustaining standards amid post-Brexit adjustments, emphasizing the need to prevent regression in equality frameworks previously supported by mechanisms.

Positions on key policy issues

Cashman has consistently advocated for expansive policies in line with Labour Party principles, opposing reductions in public spending that could undermine . As a Labour peer, he has criticized government cuts to and cultural , arguing that such institutions are essential rather than luxuries amid economic pressures. During his service as MEP for the West Midlands from 1999 to 2014, Cashman prioritized regional , partnering with trade unions like the Ceramics and Allied Trades Union (CATU) and the Steel Partnership Training initiative to establish training programs aimed at sustaining employment in declining industries. He supported enhancements to the to bolster such efforts, emphasizing targeted investments in areas like the West Midlands to counter industrial shrinkage. Cashman has opposed austerity policies, particularly those implemented after 2010, viewing them as detrimental to economic recovery and social equity. In votes, he aligned with Labour MEPs in rejecting resolutions endorsing fiscal cuts during the eurozone crisis, prioritizing stimulus over restraint. He argued that leaving the EU would exacerbate vulnerabilities for working-class communities, urging in 2017 that Labour maintain access to protect jobs and avoid self-inflicted economic harm inconsistent with anti-austerity commitments. On and sovereignty, Cashman championed pro- stances, including during his MEP tenure where he backed policies facilitating migrant inclusion and EU enlargement to foster economic cohesion. Post-2016 referendum, he advocated retaining and membership to mitigate trade disruptions and preserve sovereignty over domestic economic priorities, while critiquing hard exit scenarios for risking higher costs and reduced influence. Regarding , Cashman has expressed support for comprehensive frameworks that avoid selective implementation, cautioning against undermining settled devolution arrangements in favor of centralized overrides. His positions reflect a broader endorsement of Labour's pro-immigration framework within EU contexts, rejecting migrant scapegoating as a solution to wage stagnation and instead favoring collective bargaining and living wage reforms to address underlying pressures.

LGBTQ+ activism

Co-founding Stonewall and early campaigns

In 1989, Michael Cashman co-founded Stonewall, a professional lobbying group formed in direct response to Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, which banned local authorities and schools in England and Wales from "promoting the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship." The organization was established by Cashman alongside actor Ian McKellen, activist Lisa Power, journalist Duncan Campbell, and others, totaling around 14 initial key figures, emphasizing targeted parliamentary advocacy over street protests associated with groups like OutRage. Stonewall's launch included an announcement to outlets, marking its entry as a high-profile entity leveraging the founders' celebrity status for visibility and fundraising. Cashman, having recently departed his role as Colin Russell on —one of British television's first recurring characters—contributed to raising £25,000, which secured the group's first office in and enabled structured campaigns against discriminatory remnants of pre-1967 , such as unequal ages of . During the early 1990s, Stonewall prioritized lobbying for equalization, culminating in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, which lowered it for gay men from 21 to 18, aligning it partially with heterosexual norms amid ongoing debates over full parity. Cashman participated in demonstrations and public advocacy against , including 1988 marches predating formal founding but informing its strategy, drawing on his acting profile to amplify calls for repeal and broader acceptance of homosexuality without the "promotion" prohibitions. By 1996, the group initiated its first major advertising campaign to sustain pressure on legislative barriers, focusing on empirical arguments for equality rather than moral persuasion alone.

Advocacy for legislative reforms

Cashman contributed to the passage of the , enacted on 21 July 2004, by forming alliances with Labour MPs and participating in public campaigns that mobilized support for legal recognition of same-sex relationships, granting couples rights in areas such as inheritance, pensions, and next-of-kin status. His efforts as a prominent activist helped pressure the government to introduce the bill, which addressed longstanding inequalities following the repeal of in 2003. In the , following his appointment as a in 2011, Cashman advocated for the , which received on 17 July 2013 and enabled same-sex marriage in effective 29 March 2014. He delivered parliamentary speeches supporting the bill, arguing for equal legal treatment of same-sex unions akin to opposite-sex marriages, and collaborated with cross-party parliamentarians to counter opposition. Appointed Labour's special envoy on LGBT issues worldwide on 23 September 2014, Cashman focused on international legislative advocacy until 2019, pressing for in countries where it remained punishable by imprisonment or death, including diplomatic engagements in regions with restrictive laws. His work emphasized alliances with foreign governments and NGOs to promote reforms mirroring advancements, such as equality in partnership rights.

Evolution of focus and institutional roles

Following the repeal of in 2003, Stonewall, co-founded by Cashman in 1989, broadened its scope beyond core legislative battles on gay rights to encompass workplace inclusion and educational initiatives. The organization's Diversity Champions programme, initiated in 2001, engaged employers in benchmarking and improving policies for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and later staff, growing to include over 900 participating organizations by the 2010s. Stonewall also developed school-based efforts, such as the School Role Models programme, to promote visibility and anti-bullying measures in educational settings. Cashman's institutional engagements evolved alongside these shifts, transitioning from Stonewall's early chairmanship to leadership in supranational bodies like the European Parliament's Intergroup on LGBT Rights, where he served as co-president from 1999 to 2004, advocating for expanded protections including against in and across EU member states. In the 2010s, he held roles such as Labour Party LGBT Global Envoy from 2014 to 2016, emphasizing institutional embedding of diversity standards in public and private sectors. By the 2020s, Cashman's priorities aligned with Labour's progressive elements, integrating LGBTQ+ advocacy with intersectional concerns like refugee and anti-discrimination frameworks, while endorsing trans inclusion as essential to broader equality efforts; in , he argued that historical LGB activists opposing trans had failed to apply lessons from the AIDS era. In the , appointed in 2014, he continued influencing policy through debates on inclusive practices, reflecting Stonewall's institutionalized model of compliance and training.

Controversies and criticisms

Suspension from Labour Party over Rosie Duffield comments

On 16 June 2024, Lord Cashman posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Labour MP was "frit or lazy" for withdrawing from a planned appearance at a local hustings event in , where she was the party's candidate for re-election. Duffield cited safety concerns stemming from prior threats and abuse she had received, which she attributed to her advocacy for policies prioritizing biological sex in protections for single-sex spaces, such as refuges and sports. Cashman's remark reflected his longstanding position supporting the inclusion of trans women in such spaces, in opposition to Duffield's emphasis on biological criteria to safeguard and safety. Later that day, he issued an unreserved apology on X, stating the post was inappropriate and expressing regret for any distress caused to Duffield. Despite the apology, Labour Party leader described Cashman's original comments as "particularly inappropriate," prompting the party to suspend the from him on 17 June 2024, removing his formal affiliation with Labour benches in the . This action highlighted tensions within the party over the treatment of internal critics, occurring amid broader efforts under Starmer's to enforce discipline on issues ranging from allegations to disputes over gender-related policies.

Debates on gender ideology and free speech

Cashman has advocated for policies enabling transgender self-identification, arguing that opposition mirrors historical prejudices against rights, such as those during the AIDS crisis. In parliamentary debates, he has asserted that individuals pose no harm, supporting their inclusion without qualification in contexts like bans that encompass changes. As a Stonewall co-founder, his positions align with the group's push for self-ID reforms, including access to single-sex spaces based on declaration rather than biological sex. Gender-critical feminists, whom Cashman has labeled "TERFs" in public statements urging their ideological defeat, counter that such inclusion overlooks biological realities. Empirical studies indicate women retain significant physical advantages from male puberty, with suppressing but not eliminating differences in strength, speed, and muscle mass—typically 10-50% over females even after two years. For instance, analysis confirms these advantages persist, undermining fairness in categories designed to account for sex-based disparities. Safety concerns arise in and changing facilities, where self-ID have enabled male-bodied individuals to access female spaces, leading to documented assaults. In the UK, cases include transgender inmate , convicted of raping two female prisoners in 2018 after transfer to a women's facility despite prior offenses. Similarly, Isla Bryson was remanded to a women's in 2023 post-conviction for rapes committed pre-transition, prompting policy reversals to bar violent male offenders from female estates. Critics highlight causal risks, including and exposure incidents in gender-neutral or self-ID changing rooms, which data from women's advocacy groups link to heightened vulnerability compared to sex-segregated facilities. Cashman has framed restrictions on ""—including speech questioning ideology—as essential to counter threats to , distinguishing it from protected expression. This stance has fueled debates over free speech, with opponents arguing it enables suppression of gender-critical views, as seen in Labour Party internal pressures on dissenting MPs and peers. Such dynamics underscore tensions between safeguarding inclusion and preserving open discourse on biological sex's implications for policy.

Critiques of Stonewall's influence and tactics

Critiques of Stonewall's influence have centered on its Diversity Champions program, which charged organizations up to £2,500 annually for guidance on LGBTQ+ inclusion but was accused of promoting contested views on gender identity as institutional policy, potentially compromising neutrality and encouraging suppression of alternative perspectives. From 2021 onward, high-profile exits accelerated: the BBC withdrew in November 2021, citing risks to journalistic impartiality in reporting on transgender issues, as participation implied endorsement of Stonewall's positions. The Equality and Human Rights Commission departed in May 2021 after an independent review revealed Stonewall had provided misleading legal advice, such as on the scope of the Equality Act 2010 regarding gender reassignment. Universities like University College London severed ties in December 2021, followed by Arts Council England in October 2023 over inadequate value for the subscription fee amid ideological concerns. By January 2025, all major Whitehall departments had exited, attributing the program's decline to pervasive gender ideology that conflicted with evidence-based policy. These withdrawals reflected broader empirical pushback against Stonewall's tactics, particularly its advocacy for frameworks prioritizing self-identified gender over biological sex, which critics argued undermined data-driven approaches to youth transitions and women's spaces. Organizations reported pressure to adopt positions aligning with Stonewall's interpretations, such as mandatory policies or reframing single-sex services, despite emerging evidence from reviews like the Cass Report highlighting uncertainties in pediatric gender medicine. The program's structure allegedly fostered dependencies, with members incentivized to lobby internally for Stonewall-aligned reforms to maintain certification, leading to claims of "capture" in public sectors like higher education. The emergence of "LGB without the T" groups, such as the founded in October 2019, underscored tactical critiques of Stonewall's evolution under co-founder Cashman's early influence toward inclusive strategies that subsumed , , and bisexual rights under advocacy. co-founders argued Stonewall redefined as attraction to rather than , alienating same-sex attracted individuals and stifling debate on biological realities. Right-leaning analysts, including those in , have highlighted Stonewall's model—relying on public grants and corporate subscriptions totaling millions annually—as enabling undue sway, with continued allocations criticized for sustaining orthodoxy enforcement despite declining client base and legal challenges to its guidance. Cashman's foundational role in establishing Stonewall's lobbying approach has been linked by detractors to a legacy of prioritizing consensus over , exemplified in the charity's resistance to internal pluralism on sex-based rights.

Personal life

Relationships and family

Cashman met Paul Cottingham, an actor and activist, in 1983 through mutual acquaintance , beginning a that lasted 31 years. The couple entered a civil on 11 March 2006, formalizing their commitment under the UK's Civil Partnership Act. Cottingham served as Cashman's researcher during his tenure as a from 1999 to 2004, supporting both professional and personal aspects of their shared life. Their relationship endured significant challenges, including Cottingham's diagnosis with in early 2011, culminating in his death from the cancer on 23 October 2014 at age 50. Cashman has no biological children, viewing his long-term with Cottingham as the core of his structure amid the personal losses experienced during their decades together. He publicly acknowledged his in the , a period coinciding with broader societal shifts, though this aspect remained distinct from his primary relational commitments.

Health challenges and later years

Cashman's long-term partner, Paul Cottingham, was diagnosed with the rare cancer in March 2011, which recurred aggressively and led to his death on October 23, 2014, at age 50. Cottingham, an and activist who had worked with organizations including the , received tributes from figures such as following his passing. In the aftermath, Cashman, who was physically healthy, experienced profound grief and contemplated to "end a healthy life," as he later described during a January 2015 House of Lords debate on legislation. He established the Paul Cottingham Trust in 2015 to support research and awareness of and other rare cancers. In subsequent years, Cashman has remained active in public life, continuing his role in the with contributions on topics including prevention, transgender rights, and protests against perceived threats to . As of 2023, he has reflected on his career trajectory from to , emphasizing persistence in advocacy amid evolving social debates. In October 2025, at age 74, he publicly opposed elements of the Crime and Policing Bill, voicing concerns over restrictions on protests.

References

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